Area: 240,324 sq mi (622,436 sq km). Population (2005 est.):
4,038,000. Capital: Bangui. The people form heterogeneous ethnic groups,
with the Banda, Baya (Gbaya), Mandjia, and Ngbaka constituting more than
two-thirds of the inhabitants. Languages: French, Sango (both official),
several others. Religions: Christianity (mostly other Christians
[largely unaffiliated and independent]; also Roman Catholic,
Protestant), Islam, traditional beliefs. Currency: CFA franc. The
country is landlocked country and consists of a large rolling plateau.
The northern half is characterized by savanna and is drained by
tributaries of the Chari River. The southern half is densely forested.
The country has a developing free-enterprise economy of mixed state and
private structure, with agriculture as the main component. It is a
republic with one legislative body; its chief of state is the president,
assisted by the prime minister. For several centuries before the arrival
of Europeans, the territory was exploited by slave traders. The French
explored and claimed central Africa and in 1889 established a post at
Bangui. They subsequently partitioned the territory into several
colonies, one of which was Ubangi-Shari (Oubangui-Chari), the future
Central African Republic; it later became part of French Equatorial
Africa. Ubangi-Shari became a French overseas territory in 1946. It
became an autonomous republic within the French Community in 1958 and
achieved independence in 1960. In 1965 the military overthrew a civilian
government and installed Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who in 1976 renamed the
country the Central African Empire. He was overthrown in 1979 and the
former name was restored, but the military again seized power in the
1980s. Elections in 1993 led to installation of a civilian government,
which attempted to deal with continued political and economic
instability that persisted into the 21st century. The government was
overthrown in a 2003 coup, which led to the promulgation of a new
constitution in 2004. A democratically elected government was installed
in 2005.

ProfileOfficial name République Centrafricaine (Central African Republic)
Form of government multiparty republic with one legislative body
(National Assembly [105])
Chief of state President
Head of government Prime Minister
Capital Bangui
Official languages French; Sango
Official religion none
Monetary unit CFA franc (CFAF)
Population estimate (2008) 4,424,000
Total area (sq mi) 240,324
Total area (sq km) 622,436

Main

landlocked country located in the centre of Africa. The area that is
now the Central African Republic has been settled for at least 8,000
years; the earliest inhabitants were the probable ancestors of today’s
Aka (Pygmy) peoples, who live in the western and southern forested
regions of the country. The slave state of Dar al-Kuti occupied the
northern reaches until the various regions of the Central African
Republic were brought under French colonial rule late in the 19th
century. Colonial administrators favoured some ethnic groups over
others, resulting in political rivalries that persisted after
independence in 1960. Following periods of civil strife and dictatorial
government, including the infamous regime of the self-styled Emperor
Bokassa I (who renamed the country the Central African Empire), the
country embarked on a course of democracy that was threatened, at the
end of the 20th century, by interethnic civil war in neighbouring
countries as well as by attempted coups d’état. Weary of social chaos
and shifting allegiances among contending elements of the power elite,
the country’s citizens quote a regional proverb, "When elephants fight,
the grass suffers; when elephants make love, the grass still suffers."

The capital city of Bangui, founded as a French trading post in 1889,
sprawls on the banks of the Ubangi River. Famed in colonial times as one
of the most agreeable cities in equatorial Africa, Bangui blends wooded
hills and grassy meadows with heavily populated shantytowns, a handsome
if now somewhat run-down city centre, and modern residential districts.
Though strikes and curfews often bring the city to a standstill, Bangui
enjoys a vibrant nightlife and a diverse musical culture.

LandThe Central African Republic is roughly the size of France and is
bordered by Chad to the north, The Sudan to the north and east, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) and the Republic of the
Congo (Brazzaville) to the south, and Cameroon to the west. The capital,
Bangui, is situated on the southern boundary, formed by the Ubangi
River, a tributary of the Congo River.

Relief, drainage, and soilsThe Central African Republic occupies an immense rolling plateau
that forms, along a crest that trends southwest to northeast, the major
drainage divide between the Lake Chad and Congo River basins. The
country is well supplied with waterways. Tributaries of the Chari River
occupy the northern third of the country’s territory. The remaining
two-thirds of the terrain drains southward into the Ubangi River, which
forms the Central African Republic’s southern border with Congo
(Kinshasa).

The vast central plains rise gradually in the northeast to the Bongos
(Bongo) Massif, extending to an elevation of 4,360 feet (1,330 metres)
at Mount Toussoro, and to the Tondou Massif in the east. In the west
they rise toward the high granite range of the Karre Mountains, reaching
nearly 4,625 feet (1,410 metres) at Mount Ngaoui, the country’s highest
point, before declining eastward into sandstone plateaus. In the north
the most significant mountains are those of the Dar Challa range, which
rise to 4,350 feet (1,326 metres) at Mount Ngaya near the border with
The Sudan. In the southeast is a plain cut by a number of rivers.

Climate
A moist savanna climate prevails in the north and an equatorial forest
zone in the south. During the rainy season (from March to October or
November) heavy rainstorms occur almost daily, and early morning fog is
typical. Maximum annual precipitation is 71 inches (1,800 mm), occurring
from August to September in the upper Ubangi region, and in the Karre
Mountains annual precipitation averages 59 inches (1,500 mm). During
this season of southwestern monsoon (rain-bearing) winds, the daily
temperature ranges between 66 and 86 °F (19 and 30 °C).

The dry season—brought by the northeastern trade winds, called the
harmattan—generally begins in October and ends in February or March. The
air is dry, and temperatures range between 64 and 104 °F (18 and 40 °C);
it is warm during the day but considerably cooler at night. The skies
are generally clear. Sandstorms and dust storms occur in the extreme
north.

Plant and animal lifeThe country lies largely in the savanna zone of Africa. The northern
part is treeless, whereas the southern portion of the country contains
dense tropical rainforests, particularly along the Ubangi and Sangha
rivers. A wide range of vegetation can be found in the savannas, from
scrubby, drought- and fire-resistant trees and shrubs to more luxuriant
gallery forests near rivers and streams.

Many species of antelope, as well as baboons, buffalo, and elephants,
are found in the savannas; there are also forest elephants, which are
smaller than those in the savanna. Once-numerous black rhinoceroses are
now rare, the victims of overhunting. In the rainforests an even greater
diversity of wildlife exists, including gorillas, chimpanzees, and other
primates, leopards, and the endangered bongo antelope. Rivers contain
many species of fish, crocodiles, and hippopotamuses. A rich and varied
birdlife—in addition to many varieties of snakes, bats, and insects,
including many colourful butterflies and moths—makes the territory
zoologically one of the most distinctive in Africa. There are several
national parks and wildlife reserves, including Bamingui-Bangoran
National Park in the north, Manovo–Gounda–St. Floris National Park (a
World Heritage site since 1988) in the northeast, Zemongo Faunal Reserve
in the east, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and Dzanga-Sangha Special
Dense Forest Reserve, both in the southwest.

PeopleEthnic groupsThe people of the Central African Republic range from the
hunting-and-gathering forest Pygmy peoples, the Aka, to state-forming
groups such as the Zande and Nzakara. Prior to the arrival of Europeans
in the late 19th century, distinctions between different groups were
highly fluid. Many thought of themselves as members of a clan rather
than of a broader ethnic group. Interactions with those who spoke
different languages and had different cultural practices ranged from
peaceful trade and intermarriage to war and enslavement.

The attempts by colonial administrators and ethnographers to divide
Central Africans into definite ethnic groups have never been viable.
However, French colonizers did promote ethnic and regional distinctions
among their Central African subjects. Drawing from populations of such
southern riverine people as the Ngbaka (Mbaka), Yakoma, and Ubangi, the
French helped to create an elite group, which emerged as an indigenous
ruling group for the whole country and has held most political positions
since independence. Regional affiliations have increased the complexity
of this political terrain. Other, nonriverine Central Africans, who are
far more numerous, have tended to resent this situation and have
occasionally taken leadership roles themselves. Although people living
in the country’s northern regions have gained more political power since
independence, southern peoples still remain an important presence in
national politics.

A minority of Greek, Portuguese, and Yemeni traders are scattered
around the country, and a small French population lives in Bangui.
Diamond traders from West Africa and Chad, merchants from various
African countries, and political refugees from The Sudan, Chad, Rwanda,
and Congo (Kinshasa) also reside in Bangui and the hinterlands.

LanguagesCentral Africans currently speak a wide variety of languages,
including Baya (Gbaya), Banda, Ngbaka, Sara, Mbum, Kare, and Mandjia.
French and Sango are the official languages. Sango is a lingua franca
spoken by nearly nine-tenths of the population. It was originally the
language of a people from the Ubangi River region, but Christian
missionaries adopted, simplified, and disseminated it in the 1940s and
’50s to their followers throughout the country.

ReligionNearly seven-tenths of the population profess to follow
Christianity, with a sizable minority of unaffiliated Christians; Roman
Catholics, Protestants, and independents constitute the rest. More than
one-tenth of the population continue to practice traditional religions.
There is a growing number of Sunnite Muslims; a small minority declare
no religious affiliation.

Settlement patternsAbout three-fifths of the population is rural, residing primarily in
the southern and western parts of the country. The eastern and
northeastern sections of the country are less populated. Of the urban
population, a significant proportion lives in Bangui. Other major towns
are Berbérati, Bossangoa, and Bouar in the west, Bambari and Bria in the
central plains, and Bangassou and Mobaye on the Ubangi River.

Demographic trendsThe Central African Republic is sparsely populated. The population
growth rate is high but is offset by the country’s low population
density, net flow of emigrants, and high infant mortality rate. More
than two-fifths of the population is under the age of 15, and life
expectancy is less than 50 years because of poor health conditions and
services and inadequate food distribution.

EconomyAgriculture is the largest sector and the basis of the Central
African economy, contributing half of the gross domestic product and
occupying nearly four-fifths of the workforce; diamonds and timber also
contribute to the economy. International (mostly French) capital
dominates the economy, but the Central African Republic has tried since
independence to attract capital and development monies from other
countries, including Libya, Taiwan, China, Germany, and Japan.

Under pressure from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) to reverse the growth of government spending, liberalize prices,
encourage a more open investment code, and provide incentives to
agriculture and forestry, the Central African Republic submitted to a
structural adjustment program in 1986. In the 1990s the IMF asked for
further adjustments, such as devaluing the CFA franc and privatizing
various businesses—commercial banks and a petroleum distribution
company. As France has reduced its financial commitments to its former
colonies in Africa, the Central African Republic’s financial standing
has deteriorated.

In the 1990s a decline in international prices for cash crops, the
inflated cost of imports caused by poor transportation into the country,
the continued smuggling of diamonds across the border, and domestic
political unrest further strained the economy. Most significant,
however, were corruption and financial mismanagement, which left the
government unable to pay the salaries for the military and the public
sector. The resulting political unrest continued into the 21st century.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishingMost Central Africans rely on farming for their livelihoods. Men
clear the fields, while cultivation is largely the responsibility of
women, who grow cassava (manioc), corn (maize), millet, sorghum, rice,
squashes, and peanuts (groundnuts) for their families’ consumption. Cash
crops such as cotton and coffee, introduced by French plantation owners,
are produced largely on small landholdings. The country is mostly
self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs, and agricultural diversification
has been encouraged by the government. The growing of vegetables for
export has also been supported by the government. Although Central
Africans have for some time cultivated sugarcane and oil palms on a
small scale, the country has lately undertaken efforts to grow both
crops on large, mechanized plantations.

The livestock population includes cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and
poultry, most of which are kept for domestic consumption. Pond-raised
tilapia and river fish also contribute substantial amounts of protein to
the diet. The tsetse fly reduces the area in which stock can be raised,
but development programs to improve herds and herd migrations from Chad
and The Sudan continue to increase the number of domestic animals in the
country.

Tropical rainforest covers a significant part of the Central African
Republic, mainly in the southwest, and timber exports are a vital source
of foreign exchange. Heavy reliance on international commodities
markets, however, has rendered the country’s economy extremely
vulnerable to price fluctuations.

Resources and powerSituated on a fertile plateau and abundant in water resources, the
Central African Republic has considerable agricultural potential. It
also has a wealth of mineral resources, including diamonds, which
account for nearly half of the country’s total export earnings. Gold,
uranium, iron ore, copper, and manganese are mined in smaller
quantities. The country’s waterfalls are sources of hydroelectric power,
and dams located on the Mbali Lim River northwest of Bangui produce
about four-fifths of the country’s electricity.

Though encouraged by multilateral aid agencies to increase its
exports, the Central African Republic has also been under pressure to
protect its natural resources. Both timber harvesting and diamond mining
occur in locations that are also centres of high biodiversity. Conflicts
erupted in the 1990s—between various state agencies, multinational
logging companies, artisanal diamond miners, international conservation
organizations, and Central African villagers seeking employment with
logging companies—over how best to both protect these resources and
boost exports.

ManufacturingIn comparison with neighbouring Cameroon, the Central African
Republic’s manufacturing sector (sawmills, breweries, and textile
factories) is small; it is also concentrated almost entirely in or near
Bangui. Despite the country’s wealth of water resources, it still needs
petroleum imports to produce energy. Many sizable firms suffered losses
from the looting and destruction that occurred in the late 1990s; others
have been inefficient or ceased operation.

Finance and tradeThe Central African Republic is a member of Financial Cooperation in
Central Africa (Coopération Financière en Afrique Centrale; CFA) and
also an active member of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union
(Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale; CEMAC). The
country’s central bank, Banque des États de l’Afrique Centrale, issues
the CFA franc. There are several commercial banks that are partially
French-owned.

The government has experienced sizable budgetary deficits since the
early 1980s. Supported by standby programs from the IMF, direct
budgetary aid from France, and assistance from other donors, the Central
African government continues to struggle with the burden of a large and
often inefficient public sector. Foreign investment is theoretically
welcomed and encouraged by liberal conditions for foreign investors and
assistance to the private sector. Few non-French companies have sought
to invest in the Central African Republic, however, since licenses are
required for imports, and payments for imports from countries outside
the Franc Zone are subject to exchange control regulations. The
situation worsened beginning in the late 1990s, when potential investors
were discouraged by the political and social upheavals in Bangui.

The Central African Republic relies heavily on its exports, of which
the most important are timber, diamonds, cotton, and coffee. Belgium is
the country’s leading trading partner, buying most of the diamond
exports. France is also an important partner, purchasing most of the
coffee and tobacco produced. Imports include foodstuffs, chemicals,
machinery and transport equipment, and petroleum. The 1994 devaluation
of the CFA franc has made it extremely difficult for Central Africans to
afford many crucial imported goods, including medicine and diesel fuel.

Services, labour, and taxationViolence and civil unrest in the late 1990s and an inadequate
transport system within the country have hindered tourism, exacerbated
by the limited capacity and poor service of Bangui’s hotels. Some
exclusive tours to big-game reserves in the far north are under foreign
management; passing trans-African expeditions are the only other major
activity in the tourist sector.

The government of the Central African Republic officially recognizes
five trade unions. The budget consists largely of revenue from taxes on
income, profits, goods, and services and from import duties and taxes.

Transportation and telecommunications
With no direct access to the sea, no railways, and only about 400 miles
(600 km) of paved roads, moving products and people is exceedingly
difficult. Some commerce travels along unpaved roads, but the country
relies on waterways (the Ubangi and other rivers) for communication and
commerce. About five-sevenths of the international trade is shipped by
river. There are about 4,400 miles (7,000 km) of inland waterways,
though only some two-fifths of these are navigable. The Ubangi–middle
Congo route is the normal international transportation link with the
outside world. This course is navigable most of the year from Bangui to
Brazzaville, Congo, and from there goods are shipped by rail to Congo’s
Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire.

The only international airport is at Bangui-Mpoko. There are several
regional airports and many other airstrips, although internal services
are irregular, depending on an unreliable supply of aviation fuel.

A private telecommunications company now runs a domestic Internet and
e-mail service. Few Central Africans have home access to such services,
but many urban dwellers obtain limited access at cyber cafés.

Government and societyConstitutional frameworkThe 1995 constitution was suspended in 2003, following a military
coup. Under a new constitution promulgated in late 2004, the president
is head of state and limited to two consecutive five-year terms. The
constitution also provides for a prime minister, a council of ministers,
and a 105-member National Assembly. Assembly members are elected by
universal suffrage for five-year terms. An economic and regional council
and a state council advise the assembly.

Local government and justiceThe country is divided into 14 préfectures, two
préfectures-economiques, and one commune. A constitutional court
consists of judges appointed for nine-year terms; it assists the Supreme
Court and the High Court of Justice. There are also courts of appeal,
criminal courts, several lower tribunals, and a military tribunal. The
judicial system is loosely based on that of France, with some
traditional courts still operating on the local (subprefecture) level.

Political processThe Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa (Mouvement d’Évolution
Sociale de l’Afrique Noire; MESAN), founded in 1946 by Barthélemy
Boganda, was the first political party. It won control of the first
territorial assembly elections in 1957 and was the party of the first
president, David Dacko. Dacko officially abolished all parties except
MESAN in November 1962, and they were not allowed to exist again until
1991. The Liberation Movement of the Central African People (Mouvement
pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain; MLPC) and Central African
Democratic Rally (Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain) were formed
in that year. Although the country’s most recent constitutions have
provided for universal suffrage, in the early 21st century only about
one-tenth of the members of the National Assembly were female. However,
Elizabeth Domitien, a prosperous businesswoman, became sub-Saharan
Africa’s first female prime minister when she was appointed to this
position by Jean-Bédel Bokassa in 1975.

SecurityThe Central African Republic maintains a small military, which
includes army, air force, and paramilitary forces. French troops were
withdrawn from the country in 1997 and were replaced by contingents sent
by the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA).
MINURCA troops remained in the country from April 1998 until February
2000. Since then, other multinational peacekeeping troops have served in
the country.

Health and welfareFor all practical purposes, no modern health care facilities exist
outside Bangui, which itself has only one major hospital, and a few
other towns. A number of hospitals and clinics staffed and operated by
missionaries provide relatively good care to those who can reach them.
For the majority of Central Africans, however, little is offered by the
poorly equipped and insufficiently staffed maternity clinics,
dispensaries, and first-aid posts available to them in the countryside.
Even the hospital in Bangui is below standard for minimal care; some
private clinics are available to the wealthy in the capital. The
distribution of medicine is extremely difficult given the inadequate
transportation system. Malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, nutritional
diseases, AIDS, and sexually transmitted diseases are major health
concerns in the country. The number of cases of sleeping sickness is
also increasing.

Welfare benefits, including unemployment and maternity benefits,
child-care allowances, and social security, are available to a small
number of government and private-sector employees in the urban centres,
but most people rely on their families and kinship networks,
communities, and friends for what little help they can obtain. The
country faces a growing number of homeless youths in Bangui and in the
other large urban areas.

HousingIn Bangui as well as other major towns throughout the country,
people frequently live in whitewashed, fired mud-brick homes with
wooden-shuttered windows and aluminum roofs. Housing assumes more varied
forms in the forest and in villages. The Aka, for instance, live in
small, one-room houses, which are created from flexible branches and
covered with broad leaves from the forest. Elsewhere in the southern
part of the country, people may live in wattle-and-daub houses with
woven palm-frond roofs. Other people, particularly those living close to
lumber companies, often take discarded planks from the sawmills to build
their houses. Farther north some people, such as the Pana, live in
round, mud-brick, one-room houses with grass-thatched roofs.

It is difficult to determine what housing forms are “traditional.”
For some Central Africans, so-called traditional housing forms were
actually introduced during French colonial rule. Some people claimed
that they once lived in houses made of bark or in wattle-and-daub
constructions but that they learned to make mud bricks from colonial
authorities.

EducationThe educational structure is modeled after the French system and
does not, therefore, always serve the best interests of a developing
country. School instruction is primarily in French, but the Central
African government has sought to promote Sango literacy and encourages
its use in schools. About half of the population is literate. Education
is compulsory for all children from age 6 to 14. The University of
Bangui, founded by Jean-Bédel Bokassa in 1969, has operated since
October 1970. In addition, there are such colleges as the National
School of Arts and the Central School of Agriculture, as well as a
number of religious and technical schools. The best students, and
especially those with the best political connections, continue to go to
France for their education.

Cultural lifeDaily life and social customsIn most Central African families, women continue to play a crucial
role in the gathering, production, conservation, distribution, and
preparation of food. Hunting, trapping, and fishing—male
occupations—remain important for the subsistence of many Central
Africans, and women in some regions fish during the dry season. The
production of such commercial crops as coffee, cotton, and tobacco tends
to be chiefly a male activity, but women are the principal food
producers for household consumption. Staple foods include cassava, rice,
squash, pumpkins, and plantains, which are usually served with a sauce
and grilled meat. Okra (gombo) figures in almost every meal, and peanuts
and peanut butter appear in many dishes and add protein. Game is
popular, as are the fish-based dishes called maboké and soussou. Beer,
palm wine, and banana wine are made locally, and ginger beer is a
popular soft drink.

Churches are important in both rural and urban life, constituting
major centres of not just religious activity but also social
interaction. In addition to Sunday services, religious schools and
various fellowship groups for women, men, adolescents, and children are
common. Church members frequently gather after worship services for a
ndoye (Sango: “gift”), a celebration with singing and dancing to honour
a notable church member. Members bring food, soap, and kerosene to the
honoree, who, in turn, serves coffee, tea, and a light snack.

Holidays are also important in the Central African Republic. In
addition to the big celebrations held for Christmas and New Year’s,
December 1—known by various names, including National Day, Proclamation
Day, and Republic Day—is important. This day commemorates the
proclamation of the republic in 1958. Other holidays include Labour Day
(May 1) and the anniversary of the death of President Barthélemy Boganda
(March 29).

The arts and cultural institutionsUntil the 19th century, artisans in the region produced many fine
handmade items. The slave trade and the early years of colonization
disrupted the expansion of crafts, however, and most of them
disappeared. Today woven mats and baskets, simple wooden utensils,
carved stools, pottery, and musical instruments, including the balafon
(much like a xylophone but constructed of animal horns, skins, and
wood), are all that remain of older handiwork. More recently, handicraft
workers have begun producing unique designs and pictures made from
butterfly wings glued to paper and some ebony and other tropical
hardwood carvings. Drawing upon earlier traditions, contemporary artists
are producing carvings of animals and people, and many are available in
larger towns, as well as at Bangui’s artisans’ market.

The Central African Republic is also home to remarkable displays of
song and dance. The Aka of the southwestern forests have received
international attention for their music and dance, and several troupes
have traveled to Europe to perform. In Bangui and some regional towns,
Central African musicians have formed such dance bands as Musiki,
Zokela, Makembe, Cool Stars, Cannon Stars, and Super Stars. These
musicians play their own unique version of electrified Congolese music,
in which African rhythms and languages are combined with the rumba,
cha-cha, and merengue. One Central African type of music, called Zokela,
named after a band from the 1980s, has become a dynamic musical form
associated with the Lobaye region. It melds elements of village
ceremonies with contemporary urban sounds and has influenced many Bangui
bands.

Few works of literature from Central Africa have been published, but
collectors still gather traditional oral legends and folk stories from
older villagers. These histories and tales, some dating to the 19th
century, remain a rich reserve of historical and cultural identity. The
storytellers grip their listeners with lively call-and-response songs
and chants in their narratives, bringing together both young and old
listeners.

Makombo Bamboté, author of the novels Princesse Mandapu (1972) and
Coup d’état Nègre (1987), is the country’s best-known writer. Other
prominent Central African authors include Faustin-Albert Ipeko-Etomane,
Cyriaque Yavoucko, Pierre Sammy-Mackfoy, and Gabriel Danzi. Notable in
Central African film production is the work of Joseph Akouissonne, who
directed Zo kwe zo (“A Human Being Is a Person”) and Les Dieux noirs du
stade (“The Black Gods of the Stadium”). Central African artists have
produced both watercolour and oil paintings. The murals and canvases of
Jerome Ramedane depict scenes of African animal life, hunting parties,
and daily village life. Similar works are often found on the walls of
restaurants, bars, and other gathering places in Bangui and other towns.

The Boganda Museum in Bangui exhibits traditional musical
instruments, implements of warfare, village architecture, hunting tools,
pottery, and religious objects. Other attractions include the Bangui zoo
and the city’s red-brick cathedral.

Sports and recreationFootball (soccer) is the most popular recreational pastime for young
Central Africans. Even the smallest village usually has a football
field, and villages, churches, and schools often sponsor teams for both
boys and girls. Both men’s and women’s teams have taken part in
international competitions. Basketball and rugby are also widely played,
especially in Bangui. Central African athletes have participated in the
Olympic Games since 1968.

Media and publishingRadio is by far the most important means of mass communication in
the country, and the government owns and controls the major radio and
television stations. The national radio system broadcasts international,
national, and regional news throughout the country, but the national
television system is limited mainly to the Bangui district. In addition,
Africa Number One, a private radio station that is part of a
French-owned network based in Gabon, has operated in Bangui since 1995,
as has a station affiliated with the Roman Catholic church. Since 1997
Radio France Internationale has been operating in the country.
Radio-MINURCA began broadcasting in 1998 as the radio station for UN
peacekeeping forces, but in 2000, after the peacekeeping mission ended,
it became Radio Ndeke Luka.

The nation’s first daily newspaper, the state-run E Le Songo, began
publication in 1986. Several private daily and weekly newspapers are
published, some of which criticize the president and the government. The
country’s main publications include Le Novateur, Le Citoyen, and L’Echo
de Centrafrique.

Jan S.F. van Hoogstraten
Thomas E. O’Toole
Tamara Lynn Giles-Vernick

History Early historyThis discussion focuses on the Central African Republic since the
15th century. For a treatment of the country in its regional context,
see Central Africa.

Diamond prospectors in the Central African Republic have found
polished flint and quartz tools that are at least 8,000 years old. About
2,500 years ago local farmers set up megaliths weighing several tons
each near Bouar. The cooperation necessary to make and position these
monuments suggests that they were built by fairly large social units. By
the 15th century ad various groups speaking languages related to those
of the present day were living in the area. These peoples lived in
relatively isolated small settlements, where they hunted and cleared
land for cultivation using the slash-and-burn method. The region also
produced such states as Dar al-Kuti, Zande, and Bandi, all founded in
the 19th century.

The region of the Central African Republic was not directly connected
to external commercial routes until the 17th century. At that time,
slavery became an important factor in Central African history as
Arabic-speaking slave traders extended the trans-Saharan and Nile River
trade routes into the region. Before the mid 19th century these slave
traders’ captives were sent to North Africa, where they were eventually
sold to countries such as Egypt or Turkey or down the Ubangi and Congo
rivers to the Atlantic coast to slave ships that transported them to the
Americas.

Later in the mid 19th century the Bobangi people from the Ubangi
River area, who had become major slave traders, raided the nearby Baya
and Mandjia peoples for captives. In exchange for captives, the slave
traders received arms, which allowed them to continue to raid for more
slaves. Though these raids largely ended by the end of the century, they
continued in the north until 1912 when Dar al-Kuti fell. The slave trade
disrupted the societies in its wake and depopulated the region. It also
created lasting tensions between ethnic groups. The ruling elite is
still resented today by many in Central Africa because they tend to come
from riverine groups akin to the Bobangi.

The colonial eraDuring the last two decades of the 19th century, Belgium, Great
Britain, Germany, and France competed for control of equatorial Africa.
Belgium, Germany, and France each wanted the region that would
eventually become the Central African Republic. The French were
ultimately successful and named it the French Congo (later French
Equatorial Africa), with its capital at Brazzaville. The French colonies
included Ubangi-Shari (Oubangui-Chari; which later became the Central
African Republic), Chad, Gabon, and the Middle Congo (which became the
Republic of the Congo).

The French government leased large tracts of land to private European
companies in order to avoid paying for the development of its Central
African possessions; it also placed few controls on their activities. In
exchange for an annual rent, these firms exploited the land and
dominated the people. Company overseers forced both men and women to
gather wild rubber, hunt for ivory and animal skins, and work on
plantations. Unable to cultivate their own fields because of the labour
demands from European companies, they experienced food shortages and
famine. Because they were forced to work in new environments where they
were exposed to sleeping sickness, new strains of malaria, and other
diseases, the death rate substantially increased.

By the beginning of the 20th century, frontiers had been established
for the Ubangi-Shari colony by the European powers. Many Africans
resisted French control, and several military expeditions in the first
decade of the century were needed to crush their opposition. The
Kongo-Wara rebellion (1928–31) was a widespread, though unsuccessful,
anticolonial uprising in the western and southwestern parts of the
colony. After it was suppressed, its leaders were imprisoned and
executed and populations of Central Africans were forcibly relocated to
colonially designated villages where they could be supervised.

The French colonial administration did create a network of roads and
a mobile health system in Ubangi-Shari to fight disease, and Roman
Catholic churches set up schools and medical clinics. However, the
French also used the Central Africans for forced labour to increase the
cultivation of cotton and coffee, as well as of food crops to supply
French troops and labour crews. The French conscripted Central Africans
and sent them to southern Congo to construct the Congo-Ocean Railway,
which linked Congo to Pointe-Noire.

During World War II, French General Charles de Gaulle called on the
residents of the colonial territories to help fight the Germans, and
3,000 responded from Central Africa. After the war these troops returned
to their homeland with a new sense of pride and a national, rather than
ethnic, identity. After the war de Gaulle organized the French Union and
created new local assemblies—consisting of French colonists and a
handful of Africans—with regional political representatives. In November
1946 Barthélemy Boganda became the first Central African elected to the
French National Assembly.

IndependenceThe struggle for leadershipBoganda was a Roman Catholic priest, but he left the priesthood and
formed the Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa (Mouvement pour
l’Évolution Sociale de l’Afrique Noire; MESAN). MESAN gained control of
the Territorial Assembly in 1957, and Boganda became president of the
Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa. Boganda hoped that the French
territories of Chad, Gabon, Congo, and Ubangi-Shari could form a single
nation. When the others rejected the unification plan, Boganda
reluctantly agreed to accept the new constitution offered to
Ubangi-Shari by France.

After Boganda’s death in March 1959, David Dacko, a government member
who claimed a family relationship to Boganda, became president.
Ubangi-Shari, renamed the Central African Republic, was granted
independence on August 13, 1960. Dacko permitted the French to provide
the new country with assistance in the areas of trade, defense, and
foreign relations. He also added government positions to reward his
supporters and increased a number of their salaries, which drained the
national budget.

Dacko made MESAN the only legal national political party in 1962. He
thus ran unopposed in the elections of early 1964 and was formally
elected president. The economy declined rapidly, and the national debt
soared. In December 1965—amid impending bankruptcy and a threatened
nationwide strike—the commander of the army, Jean-Bédel Bokassa,
replaced Dacko in a staged coup.

Bokassa abolished the constitution, dissolved the legislature, and
turned over administrative duties to his appointed cabinet; he allowed
no opposition. His one forward-thinking act was to appoint Elizabeth
Domitien, a prosperous businesswoman, as the country’s (and sub-Saharan
Africa’s) first female prime minister in 1975. France continued to
support him and the country’s faltering economy because it wanted to
retain control of the diamond (and potential uranium) output of the
country. Bokassa declared himself president for life in 1972. Four years
later he proclaimed himself emperor of the Central African Empire and
was crowned the following year as Emperor Bokassa I with lavish
ceremonies financed largely by France. While the government’s debt
mounted, most of the profits for the nation’s diamond trade, which was
personally administered by Bokassa, remained with Bokassa. Finally, in
September 1979, the French government removed Bokassa—he was eventually
allowed to live in France—and restored Dacko as president.

Authoritarian rule under KolingbaDacko’s return was not well received. To maintain his power, Dacko
was forced to rely on French paratroops and on administrative officials
who had also served in Bokassa’s government. As opposition grew,
followed by labour strikes and bomb attacks, Dacko increasingly depended
on the army to retain power. Finally, in September 1981, General André
Kolingba removed Dacko from office in a bloodless coup and established a
military government.

The government remained almost completely in military hands until
1985, when Kolingba dissolved the military committee that had ruled the
country since the coup and named a new 25-member cabinet that included a
few civilians. Under pressure from the World Bank and other
international organizations, the National Assembly approved a new
constitution early in 1986, adopted following a referendum later that
year. Legislative elections were held in July 1987, but the government
continued to operate under the direct control of Kolingba, who
effectively held all executive and legislative power in the nation.

By the early 1990s Central Africa had become increasingly intolerant
of Kolingba’s authoritarian control and his lavish lifestyle. Growing
democratic movements elsewhere in Africa had gained strength and
inspired Central Africans to take action. Riots broke out in 1991, after
civil servants had not been paid in more than eight months. It took two
more years for Kolingba to give in to demands for open elections, when
he allowed other parties to form and slate their own candidates for the
presidency. Although he ran for president, Kolingba was rejected by the
voters during the first round of balloting. Instead, Ange-Félix Patassé,
a former prime minister, became the first democratically elected
president since independence as the leader of the Central African
People’s Liberation Movement (Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple
Centrafricain; MLPC).

Patassé and the quest for democracyPatassé’s tenure as president was far from peaceful. Inheriting a
nearly bankrupt treasury and disgruntled civil servants who were still
owed back wages, his government endured much civil unrest. Unpaid
military factions attempted to stage coups three times in 1996, and
Bangui was repeatedly looted, resulting in a significant loss of
infrastructure and businesses. Bandit attacks by similar factions in the
provinces contributed to unrest there as well as to the interruption of
trade and agricultural production. The Patassé government and the
military also failed to respect the rights of its citizens. For
instance, following the 1996–97 looting, the police created the Squad
for the Repression of Banditry and sanctioned the execution of criminals
the day after their apprehension. The squad tortured and executed more
than 20 suspected bandits without trial. The government also failed to
call local elections in the late 1990s, claiming that it was unable to
finance them.

The Patassé government, opposition parties, and religious groups
signed the Bangui Accords in January 1997. The accords were a series of
measures designed to reconcile competing political factions, reform and
strengthen the economy, and restructure the military. Although the
agreement did not restore peace to the country, French involvement in
the Central African Republic ended in October 1997 when France withdrew
its troops from Bangui and closed its long-standing military base in
Bouar. The United Nations took over the peacekeeping mission and six
months later sent in troops under the UN Mission to the Central African
Republic (MINURCA). MINURCA’s mission was to maintain stability and
security, mediate between rival factions in the country, and provide
advice and support in the 1998 legislative elections.

In late 1998 the MLPC narrowly retained its majority in the National
Assembly when one opposition legislator changed his affiliation.
Opposition parties strenuously opposed this change and protested, but
MINURCA helped to restore order, and the National Assembly again
reconvened. Patassé was reelected in September 1999, and MINURCA
continued its peacekeeping operations until February 2000.

The 21st centuryThe government continued to be plagued by protests over its
continuing inability to pay civil servants and the military at the
beginning of the new millennium. Attempted military overthrows that
troubled the country in the mid-1990s also continued into the 21st
century, culminating in the ouster of Patassé in a 2003 coup by former
army chief General Franƈois Bozizé. Bozizé’s transitional government
oversaw the drafting of a new constitution that was approved in late
2004 and democratic elections in 2005, in which Bozizé was elected
president.

Thomas E. O’Toole
Tamara Lynn Giles-Vernick

In June 2005, fighting between government and rebel forces in the
north caused tens of thousands of people to flee across the border into
Chad; this continued in the ensuing years. The north was also subject to
violence that emanated from conflict in the Darfur region of
neighbouring Sudan and spilled over the border.

Ed.

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